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The baby is getting more and more active as his muscles develop and he gets the strength to move on his own. He starts wondering around, crawling on all fours, he tries to stand up when he sees an object up high, reaching for it with his hand and many other cute motions. These are all signs that your baby is ready to learn how to walk and that he needs to move in order to satisfy his desires and curiosities. You can help teach your baby learn how to walk by stimulating his capabilities. Pre-Walking Exercises For The Baby First and foremost, you need to help your baby strengthen his postural muscles if he is to stand up on his own, which is the main step towards walking. Below are some exercises to prepare your baby for his first steps: - Hold him face down on his belly and play the 'airplane' - the baby will tend to strengthen his body, thus working out his postural muscles; - When you're ready to set him down after holding him in your arms, hold him above the bed or chair for him to stretch his legs, and slowly lower him down in a way that he will try to stand up on his own. When he gets tired, set him down gently. Play with him while doing this in order for him not to feel this hard and physically exhausting exercise; - Play the bicycle: gently grab his ankles while he's lying on his back and move them as the little one would if he were riding a bicycle. He will fight against your motions by trying to find and impose his own rhythm, which you will need to respect because it's helping him tone his leg muscles; - Never do any walking exercise when the baby is wearing shoes: the baby develops his motor skills better and is more protected from any sprains when he is barefoot. Teach Your Baby To Walk Babies normally start to walk when they're around one year and a half old, with some walking sooner, others later. Do not force your baby to walk, he will stand up on his own two feet when he feels the time is right. But you can stimulate him. Stretch your arms out and call him to you: your bundle of joy will try to reach you as fast as possible. Dingle his favorite toy above him: he will try to stand up in order to reach and grab it. Once in a while, hold him from under his armpits and let him touch the ground with his feet and help him support himself standing up on them. Another useful play game to help your baby walk is the one with the ball, where you roll it around on the floor and the baby goes after it to reach it. This not only develops his muscles, but also his coordination. Before you begin helping your baby to learn how to walk, ensure there is no risk of him hurting himself: - The furniture should have drawers that can and should be locked with a key; - The furniture should be fixed, not on wheels; - There are no long curtains on drapes which the baby can pull on and hurt himself; - There are no sharp objects around; - The door opens towards the outside. How challenging and rewarding being a parent is! Every parent needs some advice now and then. Visit Positive Parenting Tips for information on every topic related to parenting!
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